I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

Post-hardcore band Pierce The Veil stopped off in Toronto on the last leg of the Taste of Chaos Tour. These twenty-something guys consist of two brothers who are both musically talented and business-savvy having formed and cultivated the group themselves. Older brother Mike is a self-taught drummer and younger brother Vic has done most of the writing for the group. With the recent addition of Jaime Preciato on bass and Tony Perry on guitar, Pierce the Veil appear to be on the right track. With the hopes of garnering more exposure in Canada and taking time off to write their third album, these guys are set to explode!

iheartthemusic: Is this your first time in Canada?

Tony: We were here for Warped Tour.

Jaime: On Warped Tour we hit the major cities but we didn’t really get to see them because [the location] was always in a parking lot. This tour is cool because we get to see the actual venues and clubs and people.

iheartthemusic: What has been your favourite stop in Canada so far?

Vic: I think Edmonton was amazing, the crowd was nuts.

Mike: The crowd was awesome and it felt like we were at home there for some reason. So much love and it was fun.

Jaime: It was surprising because I don’t think any of us expected it to be the way it was. We were thinking that only 10 kids would know who we were, but it turned out to be the opposite. Very pleasantly surprised!

iheartthemusic: Let’s go back to the beginning. Vic and Mike, you guys started playing together a long time ago, right?

Vic: We didn’t start this band until a few years ago, but Mike and I have been playing since high school.

iheartthemusic: With your last record Tony and Jaime had not joined the band yet, so how has it been playing songs that you weren’t directly involved with?

Tony: At first it was kind of overwhelming. I mean, Vic explained everything that we were going to do and what we were up against, and Jaime and I had done smaller tours together but nothing like this. So Vic tried to explain how to take it seriously, like it was our job. We were practicing everyday and we weren’t used to that.

Jaime: It was definitely a different kind of vibe as far as starting a band, hanging out, writing songs and stuff like that since all of that stuff was already done. It’s cool to look back and see all the fun stuff, what with playing the shows, but now, starting to actually write the next album, which is going to be for Tony and I our first one, it’s kind of all coming back into place.

iheartthemusic: You must be pumped to write the next one then!

Jaime: Absolutely!

iheartthemusic: Vic, you have done most of the writing up to this point right?

Vic: Yeah, me and Mike just kind of jam at home. It’s going to be cool to see everyone contributing and I think it will be a nice change of pace for our band to move from an RV to a regular house again.

iheartthemusic: I know! You guys have been touring for the past few years!

Tony: As much as I stress out and get nervous before the shows, when I finally walk on the stage, that half hour makes everything you do worthwhile. It’s so much fun.

Mike: A lot of our fans have just actually become our friends now. I mean, we had no idea who they were before we started touring, and now we can get into every city and they can actually call us or email us and hang out like normal friends; that’s probably my favourite part.

iheartthemusic: They can call you, eh? Is there a communal phone that everyone uses?

Vic: [laughs] No, that’s a good idea though!

iheartthemusic: What has been highlights and lowlights of Taste of Chaos so far?

Vic: A lowlight was getting snowed in Rhode Island where Thursday was supposed to play. They set that date as the only day they were going to play Full Collapse all the way through and it got snowed in so we couldn’t get to the venue.

Jaime: A highlight was the first Canadian show in Vancouver because we had a signing afterwards and there were only two kids there; we were still stoked though. It was awesome! We thought that was the way Canada was going to be, and then the next day it was like 10 times the opposite.

Vic: Vancouver was a 19 and up show.

Jaime: It was a fun show because not a single person had any idea who we were, so it was awesome because those are the shows that we were used to before this band started.

iheartthemusic: Do you go into those shows with the mentality that you’ve got something to prove?

Jaime: I personally feel more comfortable playing those shows just because there are no expectations whatsoever. I had a lot of fun that show and that’s why it was a highlight, because every person was like “who are you?”

Vic: When the crowd puts out that vibe where it seems like they don’t like you or aren’t interested, then that’s when I feel like I can do whatever I want. You’ve got no one to impress.

Mike: I just kind of get in my own zone and don’t really care what happens.

iheartthemusic: What was a defining moment for you guys as a band?

Vic: I think the first time I saw a kid with a tattoo of our lyrics. No one had ever done that for any band I’ve ever been in. The fact that kids are feeling that connected to the lyrics and gaining a deeper connection to the band is pretty surreal.

Mike: I was super stoked when we were on Warped Tour and Kevin Lyman brought us on his bus to offer us this tour. We were on Warped Tour freaking out already, and then he offers us Taste and we were like shitting out pants.

iheartthemusic: Speaking of shit, I was speaking with Liam from Cancer Bats and apparently Vic and Liam are on the same pooping schedule?

Vic: [laughs] You guys don’t know this, but every time I am walking into the bathroom, Liam is walking in at the same time. It’s been like three times already. We talked about holding hands in stalls next to each other just to say that we did.

Jaime: Not only is that weird but that should never happen… ever.

iheartthemusic: Come on, it’s all about the band-on-band love!

Jaime: If I walked in and saw two guys holding hands, I would walk right out!

iheartthemusic: Vic and Mike have a side project going as well called Isles and Glaciers with members of an assortment of other bands. You just showcased for the first time during SXSW, how did that go?

Mike: Yeah, Vic and I had to ride with Bring Me The Horizon to Austin because we were playing there that same night. So we got to ride with them for 20 hours, which was interesting. Those guys are crazy, but cool guys. We played the AP party, which was outside underneath a huge tent and tons of kids lined up. Some of the songs are actually illegally out, so some of the kids were singing along. It was fun though. It was our first practice ever and it was on stage!

Vic: It went better than we thought it was going to. We thought it was going to be a disaster, but it was fun. We are hoping that the album for that will come out in the next few months so while we’re not touring we have new music with the Isles and Glaciers project. We also have a new video for this band coming out for “Chemical Kids, Mechanical Brides”, which is the first song on the last record.

iheartthemusic: Do you want to tell us about the concept behind that video?

Jaime: It’s an adult film in this RV! [laughs] We shot it in L.A. with the same director as the last video in a house and the house is meant to look like it’s alive. On our first video we had Vic acting and for this one we have two little kids. It was a little boy and a little girl and they were both awesome and trying to escape from the house. It’s a cool vibe, visually stunning.

Mike: It’s kind of creepy.

Vic: I wanted zombies but that got shot down.

iheartthemusic: So when will that be out?

Vic: Soon. It will be on our MySpace.

iheartthemusic: Anything you want to add for your Canadian fans?

Vic: We just want everyone to know that we are really excited about Canada and want to come back. The first thing I am going to do when I go back [home] is tell everyone that I want to book more shows here.

Jaime: I was definitely pleasantly surprised and impressed by the kids here.

The video for “Chemical Kids, Mechanical Brides” is now out on the band’s MySpace. Be sure to check it out!

photography provided by Patrick Moore

Having previously seen (and been blown away) by the Whitby-born band Bury the Bully, iheartthemusic decided it was about time we featured them. If their name sounds at all familiar it might be because they played the opening night party during CMW, or perhaps you were lucky enough to stumble upon their MySpace and were equally impressed by the sound that emanated from your computer speakers. Either way, there is no denying their talent and when we sat down with lead vocalist Rich McPherson and drummer Cala, we discovered that not only are they making great music, but these guys have hearts of gold as well.

iheartthemusic: So, from what I have read, you guys met in high school about 10 years ago?

Rich: We met in high school and that was 12 or 13 years ago and we’ve had the same lineup of guys since. It’s been a very interesting stint with four guys being in a band as friends and as professionals, so it makes for a lot of good music in the end.

iheartthemusic: Definitely! I mean, being together for so long it must have been easier to grow as a band?

Rich: It’s really tough to say. In the last year we released our full-length, which is really our first full-length since all we’ve ever done is just play and demo, and as soon as we put it out that’s when we really started to become a band and really came into our own. In those 12 years prior to that we did learn a lot as musicians and people, but I think it’s just been the last year and a half that it has really come together.

iheartthemusic: So going back to grade nine, were you guys the typical band class guys or did you just decide on your own that you wanted to form a band?

Cala: It wasn’t about getting the girls or anything, it was just something to do. At that time there was no extracurricular stuff so we decided to start a band. We actually did it before high school.

iheartthemusic: How did you decide on your name?

Cala: During high school we went by a different name and then when we put out this album, that’s when we knew that we had to step it up and wanted to start it fresh and we just based the name around the songs that we were writing.

Rich: We literally had a list of stuff that we were trying because we had been one name for 10 years, so it was a huge step to change names and identities. While we were doing the album we were trying to come up with a new name and that one just resonated with all of us because it spoke to so much socially. We consider ourselves positive individuals so it was definitely the right name for us.

iheartthemusic: Speaking of being positive individuals, you guys deal with charities quite a bit, including donating all your sales once a month to a charity of your choice.

Rich: We try and donate what we can. I mean, it’s not much as an indie band, but every season we made it so that we would donate to different charities whatever money that we made at that time. We try and link our websites to a lot of positive organizations.

iheartthemusic: What has the response been like with your album in a time when the economy is so bad?

Cala: Well, it’s tough because of the times that we are in right now but really the Internet helps so much. Also, the more we play, the better it is for us.

Rich: As an indie band, and having no real support financially to do things, we try and get ourselves in every social network we can and just make friends. The response from people worldwide through connecting through places like MySpace has been great. So in that sense having no one really supporting us, we’ve done really well for ourselves in the last year and half just doing everything.

iheartthemusic: It must be nice to be able to oversee everything.

Cala: It’s more intimate that way, especially interacting with fans and people who enjoy the music through places like Facebook.

Rich: I think every little achievement that comes along is more special just because we are doing it ourselves. You feel a sense of ownership that way.

iheartthemusic: Some bands consider themselves a live band only. How do you see your band?

Cala: I would say a bit of both. Lately, with the recording process with the new album, we are learning a lot.

Rich: We record a lot. We learn something everyday as musicians, as a live band or a recording band, they are two separate things but I love being in the studio, I love writing, I love recording.

Cala: And I love gigging.

Rich: Yah, we have both sides of the spectrum.

iheartthemusic: Who does most of the writing?

Rich: We are at a point now where we all collaborate with each other. It has taken us a long time to get to that stage but that’s where we are now and, especially going into a second album, you start to approach things differently and this time around everyone is putting their piece of the pie in.

Cala: And being together for so long really helps as well.

Rich: Everyone is inspired by everybody.

iheartthemusic: So you are writing a new album, when can we expect that out?

Rich: Our aim would be for mid summer to have a record out, but everything in music is always a couple of months behind. We are working hard at it right now and hoping to get into the studio and start laying it down at the beginning of the summer.

iheartthemusic: From the first album to this new one, do you notice any differences between your sound or writing style?

Rich: Totally. Every song that comes out is always something different and I think the exciting thing about writing a new album is the fact that when we go to record we are going to have a ton of songs to pull on and bring together. With that, it gives us the freedom to really write anything and not worry about it being the “right” thing.

iheartthemusic: You got the opportunity to play the opening night party for CMW, was that your first time playing CMW?

Rich: We played that eight years ago and I think that was the last time we played it.

Cala: It was an honour to be asked to play. The booker at Tattoo asked us to play and it was a great turnout. We met a lot of great people, like you!

Rich: It was one of those things where we didn’t think we were playing at all and then we got the call a couple of weeks prior to and it turned out to be the opening night.

iheartthemusic: You have also been able to share the stage with some heavy hitters such as Simple Plan and Gob!

Rich: We played with them right when “I Hear You Calling” came out. We hooked up with Simple Plan during Warped Tour. We played a date about eight years ago with them before they blew up, so we got to form a good bond with them.

photography provided by Carl Heindl

It is quite unique these days to find a band that is musically talented, performs well AND are all related. Well, iheartthemusic found this all in the form of Winnipeg threesome Inward Eye. Anders, Dave and Kyle are three brothers who are making quite a name for themselves. They have already been on countless tours – including one that had them opening for legendary band The Who - and they were also the headliners for the opening night party of Canadian Music Week at Tattoo Rock Parlour. iheartthemusic took some time to talk with all three of them before that opening night show show on March 11th. Check out what they had to say:

iheartthemusic: Being siblings, do you feel your parents had an influence on your decision to pursue music?

David: It was pretty natural actually. I picked up a guitar when I was about 14 or 15 and just kind of played around and showed Kyle some chords. He, of course, quickly got better than me.

iheartthemusic: I guess that’s why he’s the guitarist now!

David: I guess so. Then I eventually got a bass and Anders eventually acquired some drums and we would always be jamming together. We then realized let’s play in a band together. We were sometimes jamming with our friends, but it just seemed easier this way.

iheartthemusic: You guys also got a chance to venture into the US to play some gigs there. How did that happen?

David: It started during CMW in 2005 when we played and some of the record labels really liked us and so word got down to the big wigs in New York City that they should check us out. They ended up flying us down and we did a series of showcases there which was pretty mind-blowing and we got a record deal out of it! So it was pretty good.

iheartthemusic: You’ve done tons of touring since then, such as Warped Tour, Lollapalooza and a stint with The Who, so  what is it about touring that you love?

Kyle: Playing live is the highlight for us as a band. Everything else about touring is hit or miss; you’re stuck in a van for long periods of time, eating poor quality food and not sleeping much, but in the end it’s a lot fun too and you get to see a lot of different places. The stage is the best part though.

iheartthemusic: So where has been your favourite place to play so far?

Kyle: Some of the best shows that we have ever played seem to be out West. I remember we played at the Pemberton Music Festival and that was a really good one. We played on the second stage. We had the mountains all around us and tons of people who didn’t know who the hell we were, which was good because it introduced us to a whole new crowd.

iheartthemusic: You went from playing on the second stage at a festival to opening for The Who, that must have been an amazing accomplishment for the band.

Anders: [The Who] have always been one of our biggest influences growing up, ever since we got into our dad’s vinyl back in the day, so it was just amazing. We played a show down in Austin a couple of years ago and their promoter saw us. We then ended up playing a couple of shows in Canada with them and then when the American tour came around their name came up again and it was probably the best tour we’ve ever done and ever will do.

iheartthemusic: You guys are now on a Canadian tour with Mobile and Bend Sinister. I actually got to speak with Bend Sinister last night and they gave me some dirt on you boys. Apparently you can hold your liquor quite well!

David: Yah, apparently we can for skinny boys! I mean there is only three of us, right, so we get to divvy up the booze three ways, so we’ve learned how to handle ourselves.

iheartthemusic: You also just came out with your first self-titled EP in January and you have a video out for the single “Shame.” It has an unusual concept surrounding it, can you tell us how you came up with that?

David: The director’s name was Rémy M. Larochelle and he approached us because he was really inspired by the song so we just let him have free reign with it. He drew a couple of pictures of us looking like crocodilians or something, but I think the clincher for us was the baboon beating up the priest. We were just like this is the man for us, we are going to offend some people so let’s do it right.

iheartthemusic: You were aiming for shock value then?

David: Yah, it’s great because it goes with the whole theme of the song which is about rising up against the oppressors.

iheartthemusic: You are also hitting up Warped Tour again this summer, are you excited about that?

David: It’s going to be a tough grind. I mean Warped Tour is awesome, but it’s definitely a grind. We get so much exposure and it opens a door to the whole punk scene, which we aren’t really in. We consider ourselves a rock band, so it kind of gets our foot in that door too.

iheartthemusic: How is it living together, working together and being brothers?

Anders: Well, we have done it our whole lives so we are pretty used to it!

David: We are like an old married couple; bitter and resentful [laughs].

iheartthemusic: So after Warped Tour what is the plan?

David: We are going to be hitting the road pretty hard in Canada and come back to the Toronto area and do the “401 milk run” as we like to call it; all the little areas. We are also going to be doing another little stint in New York City. We are going to be releasing our full length album hopefully in the fall, so the EP is just a little taster of what’s to come from us.

iheartthemusic: Do you want to add anything for your fans out there?

David: Please check us out on our MySpace site and give us your comments! Let us know if we are complete tools, or you like what we are doing. Be honest because we will always be honest with you!

photography provided by Matt Vardy

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